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Passport confusion


Vickie78

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Have I screwed up? I know you leave Australia on Aussie passport. On first leg of flight tickets I have put British Passport info as API because we are flying to the UK so will be using those when we get to London obviously, should I have put Aussie passport info for my kids instead? Or do we just show Aussie passports at some point before checking in at Melbourne Airport? How does the border thing work? Do i need to update first leg of flight to Aussie info? 

 

Yes I'm a loser who hasn't flown for donkeys years LOL 

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You haven't screwed up. You show your Australian passport when you check in at Melbourne and going through any passport controls in Australia then you put it in your bag and forget about it for all subsequent passport checks and use your UK one. Ive just returned and didn't put my passport info anywhere before I rocked up at check in. What's API? 

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As others have said, take both passports. Show the checkin desk your UK passport (to evidence you can enter UK), show your Aus passport at border control (or whatever it is) on the way out of Australia. On arrival to UK use your UK passport at immigration.

When returning, show your Aus passport at the checkin desk to evidence to the airline you can enter Australia and show your UK passport at whatever border control there is on the way out. On arrival to Australia use your Australian passport at immigration/border control.

Sounds complicated but its very straightforward

Edited to add - you can also just use your Aussie passport the whole way there and back since Australians dont need a visa to enter the UK as a tourist. Tehcnically you should do the above but for ease you could just enter the UK as a 'tourist' and stick to one passport. You should also be able to update your passenger info online prior to travel?

Edited by MacGyver
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19 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

As others have said, take both passports. Show the checkin desk your UK passport (to evidence you can enter UK), show your Aus passport at border control (or whatever it is) on the way out of Australia. On arrival to UK use your UK passport at immigration.

When returning, show your Aus passport at the checkin desk to evidence to the airline you can enter Australia and show your UK passport at whatever border control there is on the way out. On arrival to Australia use your Australian passport at immigration/border control.

Sounds complicated but its very straightforward

Edited to add - you can also just use your Aussie passport the whole way there and back since Australians dont need a visa to enter the UK as a tourist. Tehcnically you should do the above but for ease you could just enter the UK as a 'tourist' and stick to one passport. You should also be able to update your passenger info online prior to travel?

Actually, check in in Australia couldnt give a toss about your UK passport, they will only want to see your Australian one.  One time I did have a newbie on the check in desk and for some reason she thought we needed to link our UK and Aus passports - I have no idea what that was all about but she went off with them (and her supervisor) and then assured us it was all OK - gave us duff information that we could actually exit on our UK passports because they had been linked.  Never had that problem before or since. 

As the OP is going to live in UK it would be confusing for them to enter UK on an Aus passport and get it stamped with a 6 months visitor visa, it's very easy to just change passports during the trip, I've never had an issue.

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3 hours ago, Quoll said:

Actually, check in in Australia couldnt give a toss about your UK passport, they will only want to see your Australian one.  One time I did have a newbie on the check in desk and for some reason she thought we needed to link our UK and Aus passports - I have no idea what that was all about but she went off with them (and her supervisor) and then assured us it was all OK - gave us duff information that we could actually exit on our UK passports because they had been linked.  Never had that problem before or since. 

As the OP is going to live in UK it would be confusing for them to enter UK on an Aus passport and get it stamped with a 6 months visitor visa, it's very easy to just change passports during the trip, I've never had an issue.

My mistake, I missed the part about going to live in the UK. Apologies

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API = Advanced passenger info which I had to put on flight bookings. I used our UK passport info from Melb to Doha, Doha to LHR legs. But then I recently remembered Aussie passport holders have to leave on Aussie passports, hence my confusion? (My two kids have aussie passports, as per the "have to have an Aussie passport to leave Australia" rule )

I'll have both on me anyway, just wasn't sure if I need to change info with airline? for Melb to Doha part? >.< 

Edited by Vickie78
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7 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

API = Advanced passenger info which I had to put on flight bookings. I used our UK passport info from Melb to Doha, Doha to LHR legs. But then I recently remembered Aussie passport holders have to leave on Aussie passports, hence my confusion? (My two kids have aussie passports, as per the "have to have an Aussie passport to leave Australia" rule )

I'll have both on me anyway, just wasn't sure if I need to change info with airline? for Melb to Doha part? >.< 

Gosh, I don't recall ever having to put passport info into flight bookings. I'd think that just presenting them at check in and through passport control would be enough 

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8 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

API = Advanced passenger info which I had to put on flight bookings. I used our UK passport info from Melb to Doha, Doha to LHR legs. But then I recently remembered Aussie passport holders have to leave on Aussie passports, hence my confusion? (My two kids have aussie passports, as per the "have to have an Aussie passport to leave Australia" rule )

I'll have both on me anyway, just wasn't sure if I need to change info with airline? for Melb to Doha part? >.< 

I wouldn't worry too much, make sure you have both passports with you, if you do need to change it, they could probably make the necessary changes when you check in, happened to me once.  

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5 hours ago, amibovered said:

I wouldn't worry too much, make sure you have both passports with you, if you do need to change it, they could probably make the necessary changes when you check in, happened to me once.  

Thanks fingers crossed I don't get a grumpy butt at border control lol. 

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6 hours ago, Quoll said:

Gosh, I don't recall ever having to put passport info into flight bookings. I'd think that just presenting them at check in and through passport control would be enough 

It was at time of booking for the first leg, then later on different airline after layover had most of our info but not the passports so had an email asking to put that in again. Then yeah I woke up at 3am thinking shit, hang on when was I meant to put the kids Aussie passport info in, rather than their British ones (given both legs are technically to the UK). God I can't wait to get there, maybe then I can actually sleep properly. 🤦‍♀️

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2 minutes ago, Vickie78 said:

It was at time of booking for the first leg, then later on different airline after layover had most of our info but not the passports so had an email asking to put that in again. Then yeah I woke up at 3am thinking shit, hang on when was I meant to put the kids Aussie passport info in, rather than their British ones (given both legs are technically to the UK). God I can't wait to get there, maybe then I can actually sleep properly. 🤦‍♀️

You need to enter the passport number that you're going to board the plane with.    That's what the airline will check.  

If you did it online on the airline's website, you should be able to edit the passenger details and change it. 

I used my Australian passport for boarding because that's what I had in my hand to go through Immigration.  As Australian citizens, you'll have no problem entering the UK, so they don't need to see your British passports.

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6 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

It was at time of booking for the first leg, then later on different airline after layover had most of our info but not the passports so had an email asking to put that in again. Then yeah I woke up at 3am thinking shit, hang on when was I meant to put the kids Aussie passport info in, rather than their British ones (given both legs are technically to the UK). God I can't wait to get there, maybe then I can actually sleep properly. 🤦‍♀️

Think of it as a research project - you can report back to us on what happens when you rock up and show your Australian passports at check in.  My guess is that nobody is going to notice that that's not what you put on your booking information and they'll just see you have a valid passport to leave on and that will be it.  When will you be flying? We need to wave!!!!! (I love tracking people of Flight Radar!) 

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9 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

It was at time of booking for the first leg, then later on different airline after layover had most of our info but not the passports so had an email asking to put that in again. Then yeah I woke up at 3am thinking shit, hang on when was I meant to put the kids Aussie passport info in, rather than their British ones (given both legs are technically to the UK). God I can't wait to get there, maybe then I can actually sleep properly. 🤦‍♀️

Yeah, that's what I did, they asked for passport details when we booked the tickets, without thinking I put our UK passport details in, when we checked in at the airport I showed them the UK and Aussie passports, they changed them on their system at the check in. 

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26 minutes ago, amibovered said:

Yeah, that's what I did, they asked for passport details when we booked the tickets, without thinking I put our UK passport details in, when we checked in at the airport I showed them the UK and Aussie passports, they changed them on their system at the check in. 

Good to know thank you 🙂 

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9 hours ago, Marisawright said:

You need to enter the passport number that you're going to board the plane with.    That's what the airline will check.  

If you did it online on the airline's website, you should be able to edit the passenger details and change it. 

I used my Australian passport for boarding because that's what I had in my hand to go through Immigration.  As Australian citizens, you'll have no problem entering the UK, so they don't need to see your British passports.

If moving they would need UK passport when we get there or else my kids would be marked as visitors if they showed APP. That part is fine anyway I think I just need to change/get changed the Melbourne to Doha part as that is the leaving Australia leg, BA has our UK passport info now as requested via email a few days ago so that's fine for when we get there. Amibovered has said they did the same and check in just changed it, so if I can't get airline to do it before hand I'll just show both at check in at Melb. 

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3 hours ago, Quoll said:

Think of it as a research project - you can report back to us on what happens when you rock up and show your Australian passports at check in.  My guess is that nobody is going to notice that that's not what you put on your booking information and they'll just see you have a valid passport to leave on and that will be it.  When will you be flying? We need to wave!!!!! (I love tracking people of Flight Radar!) 

Will definitely report back. - 10:20pm Melbourne 18th Feb, then 7am from Doha to LHR Arriving 11/11:30am (Woo hoo!)  I too like tracking flights 🙂 

Edited by Vickie78
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10 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

If moving they would need UK passport when we get there or else my kids would be marked as visitors if they showed APP. That part is fine anyway I think I just need to change/get changed the Melbourne to Doha part as that is the leaving Australia leg, BA has our UK passport info now as requested via email a few days ago so that's fine for when we get there. Amibovered has said they did the same and check in just changed it, so if I can't get airline to do it before hand I'll just show both at check in at Melb. 

Hi Vickie78, we moved back to the UK recently. It's simple, show your Australian Passport when leaving Australia, and show your UK passport when you land in the UK. 

When filling in details on the web for booking flights, I used our UK passport details as UK was our destination.

The airlines only concern is that they are carrying passengers who are legally allowed in to that destination country, so yes you could use your Australian passport but you will / may get quizzed by customs about length of your stay etc etc etc. so keep it simple, enter UK on a UK passport.

Safe and happy travels Vickie.

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We just use our Australian ones.  Last time we flashed the British one they asked us if we had another one and wanted to see our Australian one in the uk for some reason.  So we have let our uk passports lapse , couldn't see the sense in having both. Europe has never been a problem, either.  They just waved us through all of the different countries, including Eastern Europe and Scandinavia.  The worst place was Malaysia, they were very fussy. Cambodia was difficult ,too.

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13 hours ago, AliQ said:

Hi Vickie78, we moved back to the UK recently. It's simple, show your Australian Passport when leaving Australia, and show your UK passport when you land in the UK. 

When filling in details on the web for booking flights, I used our UK passport details as UK was our destination.

The airlines only concern is that they are carrying passengers who are legally allowed in to that destination country, so yes you could use your Australian passport but you will / may get quizzed by customs about length of your stay etc etc etc. so keep it simple, enter UK on a UK passport.

Safe and happy travels Vickie.

That's what I did regarding the web details, as in my mind we are moving to the UK so yes they needed proof we are entitled to board plane/enter uk. I was just confused at what point my kids have to show their Aussie passports, as obviously those details are not on the bookings.  Am I right in thinking they scan them at then smart gate thing? Those didn't exist last time we flew international in 1993 lol. 

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On 06/02/2020 at 08:28, Vickie78 said:

If moving they would need UK passport when we get there or else my kids would be marked as visitors if they showed APP. 

But it's Immigration at the other end who decide whether to "mark them as visitors".  The details on the airline page are just for the airline to check the passport you're boarding with - which is your Aussie passport.   

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9 hours ago, Vickie78 said:

Am I right in thinking they scan them at then smart gate thing? Those didn't exist last time we flew international in 1993 lol. 

Hi Vickie78, yes, when you all arrive in the UK, you and your kids just walk through the smartgate using your UK passports, no questions asked. And you are in 😊

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